Library Guides: Art and Art History: Art Index Databases

Which art index should I use?

Although there is overlap between the art indexes, each has its own strengths.

Art and Architecture Complete (AAC) is broad in scope, covering arts across the centuries, from the prehistory to the present, and from around the world.
ArtBibliographies Modern (ABM) covers the arts around the world from the late 19th century forward, and photography since its invention.
Bibliography of the History of Art (BHA), covered Western European art from late antiquity to the present, and arts of the Americans after European arrival. With the economic downturn, BHA ceased publication in 2009.

Therefore, if your topic is about contemporary art, turn to AAC, ABM, and BHA (if Western European or from the Americas), but if your topic is about contemporary Japanese art, you don't need to consult BHA. If your topic is prehistoric or pre-Columbian, use AAC; if eighteenth century, use AAC and BHA, but not ABM.

Art Indexes

Art & Architecture Complete
Provides full-text coverage of hundreds of periodicals and books, as well as cover-to-cover indexing and abstracts for nearly a thousand academic journals, magazines and trade publications and books.
Bibliography of the History of Art (BHA) and RILA
Provides access to BHA and RILA at no charge and they are searchable as a single database. Covers material up through 2007.
ARTbibliographies Modern (ABM)
Provides full abstracts of journal articles, books, essays, exhibition catalogs, PhD dissertations, and exhibition reviews on all forms of modern and contemporary art, with more than 13,000 new entries being added each year (Updated monthly).
Art Index Retrospective (H.W. Wilson)
Provides searchable indexing spanning 55 years of art journalism of nearly 600 noted publications around the globe, reflecting coverage provided from 1929 through 1984.
Index to 19th Century American Art Periodicals
Indexes art journals published in the U.S. during the 19th century, (1840-1907) providing nearly complete coverage of journals from this period.
Rhizome
An online platform for the global new media art community to support the creation, presentation, discussion and preservation of contemporary art that uses new technologies in significant ways.
Arts:Search
An invaluable resource for research into the history of modern arts, architecture and design.